This painting took place at East Beach in Santa Barbara, beneath the Bellosguardo Estate in the late summer.
The marine layer gives Santa Barbara its distinct lavender color on the horizon. That afternoon, the sun barely peeked around the cove, providing highlights only where the points of the rocks on the bluff stood out most.
 
9x12
This is oil on canvasboard, painted en plein air, finished in the studio.
12x15 with frame

The frame is a hand-made, cast plaster made from a mold of a traditional frame. I shaped it by hand, stained it, and gilt it with genuine 24k gold leaf. It is imperfect and unique and is as much a part of the art as the painting.